


Reset

by BaePuppyCat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Angst, But it's not what you may think, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, May change rating later, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Elements, There are people called miraculous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-30 17:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15756036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaePuppyCat/pseuds/BaePuppyCat
Summary: "Thank you," He breathed out and stumbled closer so that she was shielded from the rain. "For saving my life. Yesterday... I didn't get to say it."Around them, the rain picked up. The sound of thousands of water droplets shattering on the ground seemed to drown everything else out. A beat passed as they stared at each other, everything else seeming to fade away.And then she smiled and his world was never the same.Neuveau Paris. A place of constant intrigue and change where nine years ago, an earthquake opened what has come to be known as the Nova  Rift. The supernatural event led to the creation of the miraculous, the phenomenon of  people who are haled as miracles when they developed strange powers as a result. No one truly knows the secrets or the cause behind the Nova, but society has adapted and daily life continues. But expect the unexpected in the City of New Light. All it takes is a moment for everything to change.





	1. The Beginning is an End

This wasn't the first time Adrien had seen her.

It was just another perfectly ordinary day. Since the beginning of summer, Adrien had grown accustomed to a certain routine. Every afternoon he found himself on the steps of the Trocadéro and she'd always be there. Then only after the shadows casting along the walls began to stretch would she take her leave. It worked like clockwork. He didn't know her. In fact, he was pretty sure she didn't even know he was there which was fine. She was less of a girl and more a story, one that he distracted himself with sometimes when he wasn't lost in thought otherwise.

There was nothing to make him believe that this time was any different. The sky was clear and the day was hot, but it was nice and Adrien found himself enjoying the breeze and the normal bustle of people going about their day. A few feet away from him, comfortably adjusted on the steps below, the girl's head bobbed as she dipped over her notebook. Her pencil furiously scribbled, flipped to erase, then continued to scribble.  Just like she did each time.

In the distance, the Eiffel tower stood cold and resilient against the horizon like a beaten soldier, its broken metal arms grasping for the skies. It seemed to be reaching, desperate to reach as high as it once did.

The Nova incident seemed so long ago, but in a couple of weeks it would mark nine years. The world was so different it was nearly unrecognizable.  The memories were all fuzzy now, the past more like pieces of a dream that seemed to vanish the harder they were pulled on.

Back then it had been so simple. Happier. His family had been a family. His father had been a _father_. His mother...

The memories came unbidden then. The ghost of thin fingers pulling through his hair. He could hear the light, gentle voice that would soothe him when the dark was full of monsters. A constant presence that was warm, the way her eyes would light up when she would laugh, the way she always smelled of lilac.

 He could see her and his father standing by the open door together, smiling. The last time he'd ever see him smile. Even then, he couldn't be sure if it had been a trick of the light. His mother’s mouth moved, her eyes pinching.

_We'll be right back._

Adrien blinked when the girl stirred, her dark pig-tailed hair bobbing. Shaking his head, he breathed deeply, swallowing the air. Even after all this time, his chest still ached when he thought about it.

Across the way, cars drove the streets, a man walked his dog, a couple was squabbling down the street, a peddler was life made art. Paris may not have survived, but it had been reborn into something new. Nouveau Paris was just as dazzling, if not more so. With the Nova had come destruction and change, but from the ashes they had moved forward. The sun still set, the Earth kept spinning, and life was lived. In that way, life wasn’t changed, but it was impossibly different all the same.

Well... for most people. 

Sighing, he checked his watch. It was about time to go which meant... On cue, the girl finally raised her head, reaching around to tuck her book into her bag and stood up to dust off her skirt. But she paused and turned to stare towards the side. Curious, Adrien followed her gaze.

What had previously been background noise was quickly growing in volume. His eyes trained on the bickering couple. They were seated a few feet away, but their voices had gradually grown into a full shouting match. And it wasn't only them looking now. People were beginning to pause and glance over to see what the fuss was about. Then there was a scream.

People were scrambling away from the couple. Only it wasn't two people anymore. There was the woman who had stood up, but instead of a man there was only a wall of rock. Or at least that's what Adrien was able to process before he realized it was moving _._ It was as large as a gorilla, scraps of torn clothing hanging from its shoulders. The woman, flushed an angry cherry red was frozen. The rock-man-thing shot up in a rage. There was a piercing scrape of metal as the chair, which had been previously bolted to the ground, was pulled straight out of the ground. And it was flying straight for him.

"Look out!"

The wind was knocked from him with a heavy blow as something plowed into his side. One moment he was standing straight and the next there was a loud crash followed by unbearable scraping of what sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Struggling for breath, Adrien rolled onto his side with a wince. Right where he had been standing lay the crumpled remains of what used to be the chair, now sharing more likeness to a wad of paper. Black skid marks lined where the paint had scraped off against cracked stone. His heart was in his throat, his stomach almost on the floor. That could've been him.

Beside him, there was a moan of pain and he wheezed as a weight dug straight into his chest. _A hand_ , he realized. His vision was a little hazy but he could make out the silhouette of his savior as they loomed overhead.

Then they looked at him and he was looking into the sky.

"Ouch...hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?" It was the girl. _The_ girl. And it was with shock that he realized that he'd never actually seen her face before. This close, he could make out the subtle freckles that dusted her face, her dark hair spilling out of her pigtails in a windswept mess. Blue, bright eyes gazed earnestly into his and he found himself barely able to utter a sound.

Her forehead pinched in concern. "What's that?"

"... _Hand._ "

She blinked, confused. A beat passed.

Never had Adrien seen someone flush so deep and quickly in his life.

The girl made a choking sound and ripped her hand off of him as if she had been burned, flinging herself away. Adrien coughed as he rolled up, taking in a lungful of sweet, glorious air. To make matters worse, his back also ached and he was sure he would find a nasty bruise there later, but as he looked over the remains of the wrecked chair he'd gladly take bruised back over dead any day.

"Oh my god, I'm so, so sorry. I just moved without thinking. I can't believe- I-" The girl looked like a cherry bomb ready to pop.  Adrien was stupefied all the same. She had just saved his life and she was _apologizing_?  But before he could get a word out, a series of approaching crashes like smashing boulders drowned him out.

"Are you two alright?" It was the woman from the couple. Her eyes were wide and full of terror, darting between the two of them frantically. Behind her, stood the rock giant, a gaping hole fixed on its face that could only be its mouth. Glowing eyes were pinched in concern, and even on the rocky surface Adrien could read the concern marking the grooves and shadows of its face.

"We're fine." Adrien assured them despite the look of apprehension still on the pigtailed girl's face. However, the worry melted away when she turned on the couple.

"That was really dangerous! You could have seriously hurt someone. Or worse." She snapped. The woman's face paled, but it was the rock giant that bowed its chunky head.

"I am so sorry." When the rock giant spoke, it sounded like he was crunching on a mouthful of gravel. "It was an absolute accident. I didn't even realize I had morphed. I completely lost my cool back there." Adrien was alarmed to find the woman close to tears. She stepped forward, clutching her chest in shame.   

"I'm equally at fault here. Our argument got out of hand. You're absolutely right, that could have gone very differently and we're responsible. Again, please know how very sorry we are. If there's anything we can do, or someone we can call—"

"There's really no need." Adrien said quickly, despite his protesting back. "It was an accident, it happens. I just got lucky. No harm done." His savior went pink.

Besides, if he let them call his father... he would rather not think about it. He noted the girl's small frown, but she only sighed and didn't make another comment.

Convinced that he was alright, the duo sighed in relief though it sounded more like a mini avalanche coming from the rock giant. The woman grabbed the rock giant's arm tiredly even though its elbow reached her head. Whatever they had been fighting about earlier seemed long forgotten. With a final apology and a last-minute insisting of taking their phone numbers to call if there was any trouble, they took their leave. They watched the two lumber off into the distance, the sound of his heavy stomping fading in the distance. The people around him had lost interest a while ago and if not for the broken chair behind them, it could've been as if nothing had happened.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Her eyes were down and she twiddled her fingers. Her ears were still pink, but she still seemed concerned. "It may have been an accident, but still, that miraculous could have really hurt you."  Adrien rubbed his neck to soothe some of the soreness that was creeping up into a headache and waved the small slip of paper with their phone number.

"Yeah, I've never seen a miraculous become something like that, so it kind of took me by surprise. I promise I'm alright though. If anything comes up, I'll call them." He lied, but smiled. "But the one who saved the day was you! I was almost smashed into a pancake."

He chuckled, but she winced.

"I ended up almost doing the same. I'm still really sorry about that." She said.

"Don’t be. You saved me. I'm a little sore, but it's nothing that won’t go away in a couple of days." Adrien internally slapped himself. He'd always known he wasn't the best conversationalist, but this was just pathetic. He almost thought she was about curl in on herself.

"Oh my god, I'm such a klutz."

_Shit._

"No, no—" They jumped as a shrill ring cut him off. With a fumble, she managed to yank a small pink phone of her pocket and stared at the caller. Adrien watched in real time as her eyes bulged and her face flushed.

"Oh my god, I’m really late!” She cried and whipped around. “I really have to go. Um, bye, sorry!"

"Yeah... bye." He'd barely raised his hand before she'd grabbed her bag and vanished down the steps.

And then it suddenly hit him that he hadn't even been able to say "Thank you."

Adrien felt his heart twinge and he took a deep breath. She would be here tomorrow.

He’d tell her tomorrow for sure.

~.~.~.~.~

The sky was cloudy and gray. Thunder rumbled across the city, but Adrien had come back anyways. Plagg had teased him incessantly about it all morning. That gluttonous cat of his had really gotten a kick out of the whole story and had laughed at him up till the moment he left. One would think he could show a little concern for his master and his near-death experience, but that was Plagg. It wasn’t until after a slice of cheese that he managed to stop snickering.

He was early though. He'd been determined to beat her today. The only problem was that he had no idea what time she actually came around. He didn't want her to think that he'd been watching her—although he unintentionally kind of had. Or that he was expecting her— though he was. He had kind of hoped that they could just "happen" to run into each other again.

He scrubbed his face groaned, tapping his umbrella anxiously. What was he thinking? This was stupid. She'd probably just think he was strange and regretted ever helping his ungrateful self in the first place and probably would never come to the steps again because of how big of an idiot he was—

He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Despite the dark day, there she was, eyes sky blue with a sunny smile. Except, she wasn’t carrying a sketchbook but a white paper bag.   

"Hi." She said shyly. A pink sheen dusted her cheeks. "Did I scare you?"

"Hi." He said dumbly. He had to fight himself to calm his racing heart. "Not at all."

"So..." She drawled, holding the bag tighter to her chest.

Thank her, he screamed in his head. He needed to thank her! _Conversation, Adrien, conversation!_

"Looks like it's going to rain soon." He mumbled, staring at his shoes.

"Yeah.” She said.

There was a moment of silence.

"I—I'm glad you're here today."

Adrien's head snapped up so quickly that he nearly popped his neck, but the girl didn't seem to notice. She sputtered.

"I mean, it's not like I was expecting you to be here, but I've seen you around here before so I just thought— and I'm not saying that I'm glad that you're here today. Wait no, that came out wrong, I'm not saying _that_ either."

Thunder crashed. He took a deep breath, fighting off the burning in his cheeks. He had definitely already made things awkward between them. _Just say it!_ _Thank her for saving your life!_

"Look, about yesterday— oof!" She shoved the paper bag into his hands so abruptly that he almost dropped it. It was… warm. Confused, he looked back and forth between the bag and her. She fidgeted with the ends of her jacket.

"I made these. For you, that is. It's not much, but I felt so bad about yesterday, and... it's not much. Sorry again." She finished, wilting. He peeked inside the bag. A sweet scent wafted out. Cookies. He looked at her, shocked.  

Thunder rattled the sky again and a cold drop pecked his nose. Followed by another and another, until they were encased in a light sheet of rain. The girl covered her head as he scrambled for his umbrella.

"Well I just came to give you that, but I guess I should be on my way before it gets too bad out here. Bye—"

" _Wait._ " She had almost been halfway down the steps before he could grab her. He'd managed to just open his umbrella and not drop the bag of pastries along with it and was staring steadily at her with wide eyes. She stared back at him with equal surprise.

"Thank you," He breathed out and stumbled closer so that she was shielded from the rain. "For saving my life. Yesterday... I didn't get to say it."

Around them, the rain picked up. The sound of thousands of water droplets shattering on the ground seemed to drown everything else out. A beat passed as they stared at each other, everything else seeming to fade away. 

And then she smiled and his world was never the same.

"You’re welcome. My name is Marinette by the way." 

“I’m Adrien.” He said, breathless.

It hadn’t been a perfectly ordinary day at all.

Really, it hadn't been a perfectly ordinary beginning either. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue theme music as the camera pans up and away*
> 
> Heyyy new fic. I feel crazy for even posting this, but welcome. I found this draft buried in my folders from 2 years ago (originally a novel idea) O_O Tbh I'd totally forgotten about it, but I have a whole OneNote folder for it and everything and I'm feeling the embers stirring up again. I simplified it a lot and thought it could probably suit Adrinette, so I'm excited about it. Anyways, I'm calling the world Nova!AU since the in-fic incident called the Nova is what a lot of the future world-building will be affected by. I would explain more, but I don't want to spoil too much. As I reveal the world, I'll be more willing to relinquish information. If you're curious about it, feel free to ask any questions at my tumblr ;) bae-and-puppycat.tumblr.com


	2. A Day in the Life

“Sorry I’m late!” Marinette called, closing the back door and shaking gingerly shaking out Adrien’s umbrella before gently hooking it on the wall. She allowed herself a little giggle at the sight.

“Marinette?” An older voice responded and her boss waddled into sight as she was in the process of throwing on her little pink apron. “It’s not like you to be this late.”

“I’m really sorry Mr. Fu.” Marinette bowed her head, rubbing her hands together in apology. “The rain made for a lot of traffic, and there was this miraculous—” The old man’s cane tapped lightly on her head. “Ow.”

Fu lowered his cane with a chuckle and shake of his head. “It’s no problem. I was worried, that’s all. Make sure to dry off properly before going to work. It’s been really busy today and I think the other two are struggling.” He tapped his knees. “You know I would go out and help except it’s not as easy to move around as I used to.”

“Of course, that’s why we’re here. You can rest easy Mr. Fu, we’ve got this.” Marinette said with a smile and made sure she was presentable before venturing into the front. The café really was bustling today. She could see a familiar head of amber ombre hair flying around as she passed out steaming mugs and pastries. Rainy days were perfect for a small nook and a warm drink after all.

“Thank goodness you’re here.” A second figure appeared behind her shoulder and he grinned, fixing his glasses. He put down a tray followed by a couple steaming mugs and gooey pastries. “Alya’s working like a mad-woman. Can you bring these to that table over there?”

“Sure thing, Nino. I’m here to the rescue.” Marinette smiled and grabbed the tray. Nino raised an eyebrow and she eyed him back. “What? Something on my face?”

“Well—” Nino smirked, but got caught off by the door’s tinkling bells.

“Thank the heavens!” Alya stumbled back inside. Her glasses were slightly skewed and stray hairs had escaped from her ponytail, but she lit up as soon as she’d laid eyes on Marinette. “I’m saved! This crowd is eating me alive. Where were you?”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Marinette laughed and went to deliver the order. The power of two made a difference and before long, they were managing without having to run around like chickens. It helped that the rain was beginning to thin. “I got held up by the rain. There was also some new construction that I ran into so I had to find a detour.”

“Oh, what’s this? Avoiding my question are you?” Alya sidled up to her, wiggling her eyebrows. “Spill it. You can’t hide your good mood from me!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Marinette scoffed, but couldn’t taper down a smile.

“Girl don’t hold back on me now.” Alya laughed, planting a mushy kiss on her cheek. Nino chuckled behind the counter, but had leaned closer in indiscreet interest. “Did you see that guy again? That’s what happened isn’t it? Tell the truth.”

Marinette wormed her way out of her best friend’s clutches with a laugh. “You’re crazy.”

Alya squealed, “Oh my gosh, you did! That’s so cute. What did he say? You wouldn’t be this happy without something happening.”

“How can you even tell? I haven’t even said anything.” Marinette complained, but she couldn’t help the blush on her cheeks.

“Girl, you don’t need to. It’s all over your face. Your eyes are sparkling with only what can be known as _l’amour.”_ She fluttered her lashes and swooned dramatically, falling into Nino’s waiting arms.

“It’s nothing like that.” Marinette ducked. Alya flew back up and grabbed her shoulders.

“Tell. Me.” Alya stared while nudging a chair over to sit on. Marinette exchanged a knowing glance with Nino who only rolled his eyes and chuckled under his breath. Alya was a pure force of nature and there was no hopping off this train now that it was set into motion. There was no choice but to give in to her fate.

“Alright already!” Marinette choked on her laughter. “You’re insufferable.”

“That’s why you love me.” Alya winked, but waited expectantly.

“Somehow.” Nino muttered under his breath and coolly evaded the anticipated swat.

“There is a guy,” Marinette put up a finger when Alya began to rise, “that I’ve _met_ and I may have… a teeny, tiny crush on. Maybe.” She trailed off, face hot. “But nothing really happened.”

“Then what made you so happy?” Alya said, leaning on the chair. “Something _had_ to happen.”

Marinette sighed happily and said, “I was able to give some cookies I made… and I finally learned his name.” Marinette felt like melting thinking about it. It had been so romantic the way he’d given her his umbrella, the charm had been fatal for her heart. He was so handsome and his eyes were like emeralds the way they had sparkled, and—

“Wait, _that’s_ what happened?” Alya shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”

“It’s the small things.” Marinette replied dreamily. Maybe she’d bake him some more cookies for tomorrow if he happened to be at the steps again. He was there more often than not.

“So what’s his name then?” Alya said.  

His name was on the tip of her lips until a sly grin curled across her face. She leaned back with a knowing look. “You know, I think we need to get back to work. These people aren’t going to serve themselves you know.”

“No, you can’t do that!” Alya scrambled after her, jaw dropping in disbelief. “I can’t take that kind of cliffhanger. If you tell me who you like, I’ll tell you who _I_ like.”

“There better be only one answer.” Nino deadpanned.

“Babe, I’m trying to negotiate here.” Alya quipped.

Marinette laughed loudly, but as she was turning back it was too late to realize she was about to walk straight into a customer. There was only time to exchange shocked glances before they collided hard, sending the meticulously balanced tray tipping wildly. Flaky pastry and hot liquid splashed across the ground followed by a loud shattering and a shriek. Marinette felt the mortification creeping across her whole body as if wet cement had replaced the blood in her veins.

The woman she’d run into was frozen, eyes brimming with what was probably shock. Her lips were turned into the perfect “O.” The sunglasses that had sat atop her head clattered to the ground.

“Ma’am, I am SO sorry. Are you okay? Did anything hot burn you?” Marinette’s hand fluttered sporadically, frantically looking for any sign of injury. Alya had already gone to fetch the broom and mop while Nino had come behind the counter to start picking up pieces.

“Forget _me!_ ” She shrieked. “You did NOT get my _designer_ bag wet with COFFEE.”

“I am so sorry,” Marinette stammered, face boiling. Her heart thundered, but she hesitated. “I— I can fix it for you.”

“You can’t _fix_ this!” The woman shouted. She gestured wildly at the now darkly stained hand bag, holding it up to her face as if she hadn’t noticed it. “I can’t just wash it off. You better be prepared to pay.” Marinette paled. There was no way she could afford something like that. Instead, she took a deep breath to calm down.

“Ma’am, I can fix it. Don’t worry.” Marinette held out her hands, running through the situation. Okay. It would work. She could do this. She breathed. Concentrated.

She held up a hand. She waited a moment, then another. The woman tapped her foot faster and faster.

An invisible force swept around them. It whipped around the woman and across the wreckage and over her raised hand. She opened her eyes with a heavy sigh of relief as the weight of the tray, complete with mug of coffee and warm croissant, connected with her palm.

“Woah!” Nino exclaimed. Marinette glanced around to double check and cheered silently. Nino was still crouched on the floor, but there was no mess. He was blinking at the spot uncertainly, but understanding was beginning to dawn over his features.

It had all happened in less than a second. The woman still had her purse raised, but at the sight of the tray back in her hands she reeled back. She flipped the bag and stared at the pristine surface. No stain in sight. In fact, no stain had ever existed.

“I’m really sorry about that again.” Marinette echoed and carefully lowered the once-again full tray. “Please feel free to take these. On the house.”

“I—But, how—” The woman sputtered for a moment before stopping. With an angry huff, she grabbed the mug and pastry off the tray. “Yes, I think I’m owed these at least.” And with a sassy whip of her long blonde hair, she stormed out the door. Marinette exhaled loudly. That could’ve ended much worse. If all it cost her was a cup of coffee and croissant, she could manage sparing some change from her budget.  

“Marinette did you do that?” Nino said in awe. Marinette held the tray in front of her, ears burning.

“Y-yeah.”

“I didn’t know you were a miraculous!” He continued eagerly. Alya appeared in the doorway with a broom and mop in each hand, but looked around in confusion.

“Did you guys already clean it up?” She asked. Nino shook his head, waving his arms in a strange reenactment.

“Marinette’s a miraculous!” He laughed. “I had no idea. She’s, like, an undo button. It was all back to normal in seconds.”

“It’s more like a reset.” Marinette muttered, raising the tray in front of her like a barrier. Her heart hadn’t stopped hammering and her stomach began to churn. Alya’s brows pinched in concern and she rested a hand on Nino’s shoulder.

“Hey Nino, you know the job isn’t going to do itself.” She said, but Nino was still freaking out.

“How long have you been one?” He persisted. “Was it recent, or did you get your powers during the Nova—OW!” Alya elbowed him a little too sharply in the side. He would have snapped at her except he’d finally realized that Marinette’s expression had changed. An awkward, uncomfortable silence stifled the air. “Oh, sorry I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine.” Marinette said. She had shrunk in on herself, her answer soft and quiet. “I did get it during the Nova.” She didn’t elaborate more than that and turned to fetch a replacement order, pretending not to see Alya smack Nino’s shoulder and his genuinely confused shrug in return.

She couldn’t hold onto her good mood after that. When one of them would address her, she would take a moment to fix a smile to her face but she was fooling no one except maybe the customers who barely looked at her anyways. She almost tripped or spilled something a couple more times, triggering the churning of her insides that hadn’t really stopped squirming. The end of the day couldn’t come soon enough.

When it finally came time to close up, she almost sighed out loud. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Alya looking at her with concern.

“Hey why don’t you turn it in early?” She patted her affectionately. “Nino and I can clean up. Or we can go for ice cream or a walk if you want to talk?”

Marinette shook her head in protest, gripping her apron. “You guys don’t have to do that. I’m sorry I got into a funk, but I was even late—”

“It’s fine, Marinette.” Alya insisted and tugged the apron out of her hands to sling it over her shoulder with a wink. “If you want to make it up to me though, I’ll take a raincheck on that ice cream.”

Marinette sighed, but smiled. “It’ll be my treat.”

“Sounds like a date.” Alya bundled her into a quick hug and squeezed her tightly. “Nino’s really sorry. He just didn’t understand.”

“I know. I’m not mad at him.” She nestled into the hug before they pulled away. “Thanks again, I really appreciate it. Good night.” With a small wave, Marinette went through the back and bounded up the steps behind the shop. Moving past a couple of apartments, she stopped to knock at one of the more worn doors, fixing a little piece of tape that was peeling off that said _Fu_.

“Marinette?” Fu poked his head out. “Is everything alright downstairs?” She smiled and bowed.

“Everything’s fine. Alya and Nino volunteered to clean up tonight and I’m heading back to my room. I just wanted to apologize for being late again.”

“It was no problem. The day ran smoothly enough.” Fu stroked his gray goatee with a chuckle. Marinette feigned a smile. “Oh before I forget, be careful at leaving the window open tonight. It’s supposed to rain again.”

“Okay, thanks for the heads up. Goodnight Mr. Fu.” Marinette bowed once more and gave a friendly wave before continuing down the hall. At the very end, there was a slightly shorter door. She always had to bend her head down a little to get through, but she always imagined she was entering a secret cave. Replacing her key into her bag, she ducked down and closed the door behind her. Another set of stairs extended in front of her and she took them two at a time.

She really was lucky, and probably getting more than she deserved. Sometimes she wondered just how much of a discount Fu was really giving her. When she’d asked the first time, he’d stroked his goatee and laughed, saying it was just an employee discount and afterwards, she figured it was better not to ask again. It might just make her feel guiltier.

Fu owned the building and the café after all. She assumed the rest of the apartments were let out for normal rates, but when she’d started working for him and it had (very embarrassingly) come out that she had been looking for cheap housing, he had ushered her down the hall and shown her the room. He explained that it had originally been used as a storage room, but he’d tried turning it into another apartment space a while back. He’d built it, but had never let it out.

 Yes she had to duck down through the weird door and climb a few more steps, and yes it really wasn’t much but it was more space than she could’ve hoped for. It was awkwardly shaped, cramped, and had needed touching up for sure, but there was a large window that opened onto a flat portion of the roof and plenty of skylight. And it was a space all for her. That day and onward, she truly believed no one could have given her a better gift.

That had been about two years ago and her personal touch had made the space her own. She clicked on the lamp at the top of the staircase, shrugging out of her sweater and draping it across a makeshift stand. She’d learned to be thrifty over the years with the little money she had made independently, which wasn’t much. Her room had come with necessities like a small bathroom (though the water didn’t always get hot), a small fridge, counter, and stove tucked strategically into corners, and recently she had gotten her hands on —her only luxury— a queen sized bed in the middle of the room, courtesy of the wonderful Alya and Nino. After they’d moved in together, Alya hadn’t needed it anymore and had given it to her as a gift; Marinette had definitely cried just a little bit. It had been a nightmare to squeeze into the space but so worth it.

The walls had been painted a soft pink and she had managed to get her hands on a table that had taken a spot against the wall. A sewing machine she had found for a killer deal in an antique sale rested in the center of it. It’d been an impulse purchase which was something she usually never did, but she’d been drawn to it regardless. It had been difficult to set up, but once she’d fixed it up and bought some discounted fabric to practice with, she’d found that she was almost a natural at handling it and she was cranking out customized orders for her neighbors before she knew it. Soon enough she’d had enough to buy a cute little ladybug themed sketchbook to fill with all the ideas she had and almost every day she would go out to the Trocadero steps for inspiration and sketch before work. Ever since it had become a self-sustaining hobby and a little extra, it had been her favorite pastime.

She pulled out her sketchbook and it rested it by the machine. She admired her little sewing station. It might’ve taken up a little more space than she had to offer, but she adored it with all her heart.

But tonight, she needed a little fresh air and some quiet time. She changed into something looser and pulled out the small slip of paper from under her pillow before crossing to the window. It hadn’t started raining yet and Marinette carefully climbed out before situating herself on the small platform. She’d even managed to personalize the small area as well. It wasn’t anything fancy but she’d managed to string up some lights around the window and even had a little folding chair with a colorful blanket and a small ladybug pillow that she’d thought was cute (she had a thing for ladybugs). And it was all she needed, for the view made up all the difference.

From her perch, the spread-out sea of Parisian roofs stretched endlessly, pockmarked with life by sparkling windows or by smoking chimneys. She could see the Seine rushing along, where boats would continue to pass quietly. She could see the Eiffel tower, bent and broken like a shattered bottle’s neck, but still standing however crookedly. If she craned her neck, she could even see the Nova Rift and its soothing translucent glow illuminating the Eiffel’s underbelly.

Marinette wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and carefully thumbed open the piece of paper. Pieces of tape covered some rips and tears that had appeared over the years and she aligned her thumbs with the slightly yellowing spaces on the edges where they had held it many times before. The spots would continue to yellow; there was nothing she could do about that but be careful. As she stared at it, her eyes traced over the image she had looked at so many, many times that she could see it even with her eyes closed.

It was a picture of two adults, a man and a woman, that were hunched over a little blue-eyed, pigtailed girl squished between them. They were all leaning against a table where a ridiculously large and messy cake was placed, with two number “1” candles propped in the middle.

The big man was turned away and Marinette couldn’t really see his face, but she could tell that he was stifling laughter. When she looked at him, she could imagine it shaking in her soul, a laughter echoing from within her. The woman was a much smaller, Asian woman. Chinese, Marinette could tell. There was laughter in her eyes and in the lines of her face, and she was holding a chunk of cake in her hand. Marinette always thought she had her smile.

The little girl between them was the only one making an awful face. She had cake both in her mouth and spattered all over on her nose and cheek. A look of utter shock and surprise was frozen on her face, but she looked really, really happy.

And once long ago, the little girl was her.

Marinette gingerly flipped the photo over, reading the inscription she’d memorized by heart:

_The Du—C— Fa-ly_

_Marinette’s 11 th birthday with Mom and Dad_

She was 20 years old now. Or at least, that’s how old she thought she was. Because she doesn’t remember this moment. She doesn’t recognize these people. But these are her parents and that’s definitely her in the middle _._ Sometimes she dreamed of that day and could see their fuzzy faces drifting into the shore of her own memories, could feel the shake of their laughter, could _taste_ the cake, but the memories— no, figments of her imagination always dissolved away by morning.

Because nine years ago, when she was 11 years old, she had woken up in a hospital with no family and no memory. She had a frightening new power to _reset_ things and they called her a miracle. That she was miraculous. They’d said that she couldn’t remember because of the trauma from whatever happened during the Nova. Nobody who was there could actually seem to remember, and Marinette had apparently been caught up in it. But none of that had mattered at the time because she distinctly remembered the moment she woke up with no one beside her… except for this picture which had been deeply tucked into her pocket.

She had never let it go since. It remained her greatest treasure and her one hope that she wasn’t _truly_ alone.

She clutched it fiercely. It felt warm in her touch as if the love this small family had once had still burned bright and alive. It did, she was sure, because she did love them. She loved these people she couldn’t even remember the names of. Her brain may not remember, but her heart did. She had made a vow a long time ago to find them again one day. She’d look forever if she had to, but before then life had to still be lived and she needed to make a living and survive.

It wasn’t like the years hadn’t been merciful to her. She’d met Mr. Fu who’d given her a roof over her head and a dime in her pocket, and she’d met Alya and Nino who’d given back her laughter and joy. And now she’d met Adrien… the gray cloud around her heart seemed to part and warm as she felt herself go pink and smiled softly.

Only until a drop of water landed on her nose did she realize how long she’d been sitting outside. Her fingers were cold around the photo and she quickly folded it back up so it wouldn’t get wet. She turned to climb back inside and settle in for some rest, but she almost tipped over the platform when a deep tremor shook beneath her. She grabbed onto the window frame to keep still, but her eyes were wide and she peeked over her shoulder, frantically scanning the city as people’s voices began to echo along buildings in concern. There had to be another rift opening, and somewhere really nearby—  

A scarlet burst of flame billowed as a loud explosion rocked the skyline.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beginnings: sweet, fluffy, romantic
> 
> Soon after: DRAMA, PAIN, ANGST
> 
> Got to keep you people on your toes haha :D Hope I'm keeping you guys intrigued! Adrien will come back next chapter c: Come be friends on tumblr! bae-and-puppycat. Till next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think so far :) Thanks for reading!


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